I've Suffered for Five Years, Now It's Your Turn. ~The Crown Princess Has No Intention of Forgiving~ - Epilogue

It’s been two years since I returned to my homeland—Sylvan.

As I ride in a carriage through the royal capital, I smile at the people waving to me from the roadside.

“Princess Filia, it’s been two years now… and you’ve become the most beloved figure in this country.”

“You’re exaggerating, Ryug.”

“I beg to differ, Your Highness. I speak only the truth.”

Cheers from the citizens flood toward our moving carriage.

Back before I returned, I never imagined being welcomed like this.
All the worries I had about coming home turned out to be for nothing.

“Since coming back to Sylvan, Your Highness has been deeply committed to diplomacy. Just today, you finalized a new trade route with another country. The people truly admire what you’ve accomplished.”

“It’s only because many nations were sympathetic. From a political point of view, my position made things convenient.”

As Ryug, my knight and escort, said, I’ve had some success in diplomacy.
That’s mostly because the nations I negotiated with knew the pain I endured for five long years and chose to sympathize.

So instead of simply resting once I returned home, I used that sympathy to push ahead with diplomacy.
Maybe it was a bit cunning, but living with strength is also part of a princess’s duty in Sylvan.

“Father, the trade route negotiations with ——— country are moving forward smoothly. It looks like everything will proceed as we hoped.”

“Well done, Filia. On behalf of the royal family, I thank you.”

Back at the castle, I report to my father, the king of Sylvan.

He’s a man of great dignity, respected and even feared by the nobility.
And now, he gently places a hand on my shoulder.

“Are you feeling well? If anyone dared to look down on you during negotiations, you must tell me. Promise me that.”

“There was nothing like that. The people from ——— were very friendly.”

“Truly? If you were mistreated again, I don’t think I could bear it.”

Seeing how worried he is reminds me of the day I returned two years ago.

My father wept as he apologized and was so overcome with guilt for marrying me off to Harvin that he lost a great deal of weight.

Because of the strict education I received as a princess, and all the hardships I endured, I rarely got to spend time with him.
But two years ago, I finally realized how much he truly loved me—how much he cared.

“As I told you back then… if anything like that happens again, I promise I’ll come to you. To Mother, and my brothers as well.”

“Yes. And just as I told you, even if you never bear a child, we will never turn our backs on you. So don’t carry things alone. Whatever happens, come to us. Understand?”

It’s shameful to admit, but during those five painful years, I should have trusted my family more.

That’s my only regret—the one thing I truly got wrong.
If I’d leaned on this loving family just a little more… I might have found happiness sooner.

“By the way, Filia. You have a guest.”

“A guest?”

“Yes… and before you ask, whether or not you meet them is entirely your choice.”

That’s unusual. Guests who come to see me are usually important dignitaries, and I’m expected to meet with them without question.

“To have a choice… who is it?”

“…It’s ——.”

Hearing the name, I hesitated for a moment.
Then I made up my mind, and headed for the guest room.

“It’s been a while, Princess Filia.”

He greeted me in the guest room, bowing gracefully as he spoke my name.
That same calm voice, with the same gentle smile as two years ago.

“It’s been a long time, Luans.”

“I’m truly grateful you agreed to see me.”

“With your current position leading the Harvin state, I couldn’t exactly turn you away, could I?”

Since then, Harvin has abolished the monarchy.

Rather than cling to a crumbling royal authority, they made the wise choice to pursue a new national structure.

Now, the former kingdom is a duchy governed mainly by the nobility.

Luans, once in a very difficult position as a member of the royal family, is now a duke—I received word of his promotion six months ago.

“Rising to your current status from your former position couldn’t have been easy.”

“It’s nothing compared to what you’ve achieved, Princess, but I’ve done my best.”

Then Luans added quietly,

“Actually, after everything happened… my brother gave a statement from prison.”

“A statement?”

“About how our mother, Camilla, treated me. About what I accomplished and how I was overlooked. He spoke up, just before he was sentenced.”

“…!”

“Because of that, the nobility’s opinion of me changed. My brother knew it would hurt his own position, but he still gave that testimony.”

“I see… so that’s what happened.”

“In the end, he accepted the judgment handed down by the tribunal. But before that… he left a final letter in his cell.”

Luans placed a sheet of paper on the table.

Neat, careful handwriting met my eyes.

Luans, I know I have no right to ask anything of you.
But please, hear the request of your pathetic older brother.

Bring peace to this country. Help settle the unrest.
Abolish the monarchy immediately. Build a new system governed by the nobility.
The royal family no longer has any power. It means nothing now.

Now is the only time to rebuild. With the royal family judged, the people and nobility united… we have a chance.

Please, Luans. Lead this country toward peace.

I was stunned. Could it really be…?

“Harvin became a duchy because of Erik’s proposal?”

“Yes. His letter included a draft for the new government system. It became the foundation for our country today.”

“…I see.”

“He wasn’t a strong man, but he truly tried to become a good king.”

I couldn’t deny it.

I wouldn’t have come up with the ideas that rebuilt Harvin into a duchy.

“To think Erik did all of that for you…”

But Luans shook his head, and looked at me with those clear, sincere eyes.

“Not for me. I believe he did it for you, Princess Filia.”

“For me?”

“Please, look at the back of the letter.”

I turned the page as he asked.
There, in small handwriting, were the following words:

“I couldn’t keep the promise I made to her that day. But at the very least, I hope this helps bring peace between our nations. That’s all I ask.”

Reading those words, I remembered the first time I met Erik.

He’d spoken to me kindly, seeing how nervous I was.

“Let’s make our marriage a symbol of peace between our countries.”

The meaning behind our political marriage.
The hope we shared when we agreed to it.
And in the end… Erik upheld that promise.

“What a pitiful man… truly.”

I whispered as I looked at the letter.

Just a little—but enough—I could recall the prince he once tried to be.
And I felt a faint spark in the embers of the innocent affection I’d once held.

“But he kept his promise, after all.”

Why did he stray from the path?
What kind of future would we have had, if he’d trusted me enough to tell me everything?

It’s all just wishful thinking. I know that.
Still… I can’t help but wonder.

“He fulfilled the goal of our marriage—peace between our countries. That’s enough. I have no resentment left.”

Our union was meant to bring peace.
That peace is what I’ll continue striving toward, today and tomorrow.

To protect this happiness—
I will never stray from the path again.
That is the lesson I earned, after those five long years.